Slow-Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
Slow-roasting these beautiful tomatoes concentrates their unique flavor—try these with a drizzle of pesto!
Ingredients:
1 pound heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons ultra-fine sugar
1 tablespoons green peppercorns
Good quality olive oil
Sea salt
Method:
1. Cut off the stem end of the tomato and then slice it into approximately ½-inch slices. When all the tomatoes are sliced, place them on a rimmed sheet pan and brush or drizzle olive oil over each tomato slice.
2. Mix the sugar and the salt together. Sprinkle some of the sugar/salt mixture on each tomato. In a mortar, grind the peppercorns until very crushed but not totally pulverized, then sprinkle over tomatoes.
3. Put the pan of tomatoes into a 175° oven for about 3 hours until caramelized.
Savory Roasted Squash, Two Ways
After roasting, this side is topped with either fresh thyme, honey and walnuts, or hazelnuts and blue cheese, for a spectacular finish.
Ingredients:
1 fall squash of your choice, such as Delicata, seeded and quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
For Honey-Herb Topping:
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
For Blue Cheese Topping:
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place squash quarters skin side down on a heavy baking sheet and brush flesh generously with olive oil using a brush. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper, and bake for 30-40 minutes until squash is tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool just slightly.
2. For honey-herb topping: Transfer squash to a serving dish and brush lightly with additional olive oil before sprinkling the pieces with fresh thyme and walnuts, finishing with a healthy drizzling of honey. For blue cheese topping: Transfer squash to a serving dish and brush lightly with olive oil before sprinkling blue cheese and hazelnuts over each piece of squash.
Roasted Squash Seeds
Pumpkins aren’t the only fall squash with delicious seeds to roast: Butternut, Red Kuri and many others have seeds worthy of crisping up in a hot oven.
Ingredients:
1 squash of your choice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds, using your fingers to separate the seeds from the stringy flesh. Put seeds in a large bowl.
2. Cover seeds with cool water and and swish around. Pull off any bits of squash still clinging to the seeds. Drain squash seeds and shake off any excess water. Spread on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and dry thoroughly.
3. Put seeds in a bowl and toss with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat thoroughly.
4. Spread seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes. Let cool at least slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Wonderful tossed in salads, or just for snacking, these seeds are both salty and a little sweet!
Ingredients:
Seeds from 1 Winter Density or other pie pumpkin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2-3 teaspoons sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°.
2. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp and seeds out of your pumpkin into a bowl. Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp, rinse the seeds in a colander under cold water, then shake dry. (Don’t blot with paper towels; the seeds will stick.)
3. Spread the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and roast 30 minutes to dry them out.
4. Toss the seeds with olive oil and brown sugar and a generous sprinkling of sea salt. Return to the oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes.
